The board of education for SD48 decided after considering the implications of a vaccine mandate for its staff and information and guidance from public health officials, according to a news release sent out Nov. 16.
“The board, along with staff, has gathered information with respect to our vaccination rates, rates of transmission, advice from [Vancouver Coastal Health], collaboration with [British Columbia School Trustees Association] and have decided that we will not be implementing a mandatory vaccination for staff,” said Rebecca Barley, chair of SD48’s board in the release.
The board cited as part of its decision. As of Nov. 9, 2021, of the vaccine-eligible people who are 12 and older, 97% have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 91% have received two doses of the vaccine.
The board also said that it reviewed the which were developed by the Ministry of Education, BC Public School Employers’ Association and the provincial advisory group.
This announcement from SD48 comes after Premier John Horgan announced at an Oct. 7 news conference that it would be up to elected school board members to decide what is best for their community.
“There is a responsibility for elected representatives who put their hand up and said ‘I’d like to be on the school board’ to inform themselves about the best way to protect their employees and the children within their district," said Horgan at the news conference.
This update also comes as masks and as a vaccine for ages five to 11 waits for approval from Health Canada. However, Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine could be and for ages six to 11. The Pfizer vaccine has
As it stands, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer, has of COVID-19 across the country and, generally, they have milder infections than adults, but there are rare cases with more severe illness.
